Means for cleaning cisterns



(No Model.) l

' f D. J. DALY.

' MEANS vPOR 0-LE.L \1\IINGv GISTERNS.

` N0. 534,203. Patlltdfeb. 12, 1895.

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ci www y wwf-n l UNITED STATES PATENT DAVID JOSEPH DALY, or NEW ORLEANS, LouisIANA.

Y MEANS FOR CLEANING CISTERNS.

sPEoIFIcATIoN farming part of Letters Patent No. 534,203, dated February 12,1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID JOSEPH DALY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Cleaning Cisterns; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making a part of this speciiication, and to the' letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improved means for cleaning cisterns, and has for its object to provide means for causing the water from -the overflowing of the cistern to remove all sediment from the cistern and also to provide means for storing the freshest water in the cistern and discharging therefrom the stale and less wholesome portion thereof.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combi-l nation of parts hereinafter fully described and definitelyv pointed out in the claims following t-he description, due reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, wherein is represented a/'vertical section of a cistern provided with my improved apparatus.

Oisterns of the class described are usually sovarranged as to obtain their supply-from rain falling on the roofs of, houses and other structures and conveyed to the cistern by gutters and spouts. Hence the dust, dir't,`and

other foreign substances that settle upon the roofs and accumulate in the gutters and spouts is deposited in the cistern, fouling and contaminating the water, and in order to remove the sediment thus deposited inthe cistern and to preserve only clean and wholesome water I provide the apparatus which I will now proceed to describe.

Referring to the drawing the reference letter A indicates a cistern of any approved construction and disposed in any suitable or pre- B indicates a spout for conveying the water from the roof which near its end is provided with a discharge pipe C that extends down into the cistern to a point preferably slightly below the normal water line thereof. A foraminous cap or cover c is fitted over the top Appiicaaon filed April' z5, 1894. serai No. 509,008. montati.)

of the pipe C to prevent the entrance therein of any foreign substance. The extreme end of the spout B is open, for the purpose hereinafter made apparent'.

D indicates a tube centrally arrangedwithin the cistern `and provided at its upperand let mouths respectively lettered E and F. The top of the funnel E preferably extends lower ends with funnel-shaped inlet and outup even with or slightly above the top of the cistern in a position to receive the water dis-` charged from the open end of the spout B, and is provided with a foraminous or reticulated catch pan or cap e that prevents the entrance of any foreign substances into the funnel with the water. The funnel shaped outlet F extends down to within a fev.r inches of near the top of the cistern and thence projects horizontally through the funnel inlet E and through the side of the cistern and down'- vwardly to the ground or to `a` suitable drain.

The operation of my improved device is as follows: In light rains the water from the roof passes down the spout B and is discharged throughthe pipe Cinto thecistern A at a point slightly belowthe water level of the latter as shown, any foreign substances that may yhave been washed down `the spout B being interceptedby theforaminous cap c and discharged into the catch pan e.- By discharging the water into the top of the cistern and slightly below the Water level of the latter, the water in the cistern and the sediment deposited on the bottom thereof is not agitated, and as the foul and contaminated Water is always the heavier and hence lies at the bottom of the cistern, the unwholesolne water, passes off through the pipe H and'es'capes from the cistern as soon as the water in the cistern rises above the top of thepipe H. If no means were provided for preventing it the overflow pipe H would, after the water once started to flow through it, siphon out `the entire contents of the cistern, and in order to IOS) prevent such action l provide the horizontal portion of the overow pipe H with an air vent h, whereby as soon as the water falls below the level of the air vent air will be ad- 5 mitted to the pipe II and prevent any siphon action thereof, hence preventing the water from fallng below its normal level in the cistern. In a heavy rain the the pipe C is of insufficient capacity to carry off all the water Ic flowing through the spoutB and hencea portion of the water is discharged through the open end of said spout into the funnel E and down the tube D from which it is discharged and flows over the top of the plate G, washing off all sediment deposited thereon and thence under said plate and up and out through the overfiow pipe l-I, carrying with it all sediment and impure or stale water. By making the outlet of the tube D `funnel shaped the water is caused to flow over the entire surface of the plate G and wash all sediment therefrom, while at the same time, owing to the inclination of the walls composing the outlet no opportunity is aordedlfor` the sediment to deposit thereon.

The device is entirely automatic in its action, requiring no care or attention other than removing the accumulated foreign substances from the catch pan e from time to time, as

3o may prove necessary, for which purposethe catch pan is made removable.

By closing the air vent 71, with a plug the entire contents ofthe cistern may be siphoned o by introducing a sufcient quantity of water to cover the pipe H.

What I claim as my invention isl. The combination with a cistern, of a tube having its lower end arranged near the bot` tom of the cistern and its upper end extend- 4o ing up even with or above thetop thereof, an inlet pipe having an open end discharging into` said tube and provided with a branch pipe communicating with the inlet tube near its discharge end and extending down below the normal water level of the cistern, and an overflow pipe leading from the bottom of the cistern, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a cistern, of a tube having its lower end arranged near the bot-` 5o tom of the cistern and its upper end extending up even with or above the top thereof and provided with a reticulated or foraminous catch basin, an inlet pipe havingan open end discharging into Said tube and provided with a branch pipe communicating with the inlet tube near its discharge end and extending down below the normal water level of the cistern, a foraminous or reticulated cover for said branch pipe, and au overflow pipe leading from the bottom of the cistern, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a cistern, of atube having its lower end arranged near the bottom of the cistern and its upper end terminating at or near the top thereof, a sediment plate supported between the bottom of said tube and the bottom of the cistern, an overflow pipe leading from the space between said plate and the bottom of the cistern, and an inlet pipe discharging into said tube, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a cistern, of a tube having a funnel-shaped lower end arranged near `the bottom of the cistern and its upper end terminating at or near the top thereof, a sediment plate supported between the bottom of said tube and the bottom of the cistern, an overflow pipe leading from the space between said plate and the bot-tom of the cistern, an inlet pipe discharging into said tube, and an inlet pipe discharging into the cistern near the top of the latter, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a cistern, of a tube D provided at its opposite ends with funnelshaped mouths E, F, the funnel E terminating at or near the top of the cistern and the funnel F arranged near the bottom thereof, the plate G supported between the funnel F and the bottom of the cistern, the overflow pipe H communicating at one end with thespace between the plate G and the bottom of the cistern and extending up above the normal water level of the cistern and thence out of the latter, an airvent 7L communicating with the top of the pipe H, and an inlet pipe B having an open end discharging into the funnel E and provided with a branch pipe discharging into the cistern` near its top, substantially as described.`

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID JOSEPH DALY.

Witnesses:

WALTER Il. Coon, WM. B. STOUT.

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